NEWS RELEASES
CANADA TEMPORARILY SUSPENDS OPERATIONS AT MISSION IN LAGOS
March 12, 1997 No. 46
CANADA TEMPORARILY SUSPENDS OPERATIONS
AT MISSION IN LAGOS
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy today announced the temporary suspension
of operations at the Canadian High Commission in Lagos, Nigeria, due to concern
for the personal safety of Canadian officials and security of Canadian offices.
Repeated security assessments of the situation have determined that there is an
unacceptable level of risk at the mission.
"Canadian officials at the High Commission have not been given the security
assurances by the Nigerians that we are guaranteed in the Vienna Convention," said
Mr. Axworthy. "It is the desire of Canada that the Nigerian government ensure
that this matter be resolved quickly so that the High Commission can resume normal
operations as soon as possible."
The Canadian High Commission in Lagos has been without a security officer since
December 1996 and efforts by Canada to send a replacement have been blocked by the
failure of the Nigerian government to issue a visa for this person. Mr. Axworthy
regretted that Canada had no choice in this matter and that the decision to
suspend operations temporarily had to be made. The suspension of operations at
the High Commission in Lagos does not mean, however, that Canada has broken off
bilateral diplomatic relations with Nigeria.
Nigerian officials have also made unfounded allegations that Canada has supported
recent acts of violence in Nigeria. The combination of these allegations with the
hindering of our normal staffing has made it impossible to conduct routine
activities in Lagos.
Despite Canada's attempts to resolve this situation, including Minister Axworthy's
recent telephone conversation and correspondence with Nigerian Foreign Minister
Chief Tom Ikimi, no solution has been achieved.
Although operations at the High Commission will be suspended temporarily, Canadian
consular affairs in Nigeria will be managed by the Embassy of the United States
out of the former Canadian chancery location in Lagos, while other High Commission
activities, such as visa services, will be transferred to the High Commission in
Accra, Ghana. The Acting High Commissioner and other Canadian officials have
already returned to Canada.
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Catherine Lappe
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
This document is also available on the Department's Internet site:
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca
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